Device for the evaporation of liquids



0w. 9, 1956 H, H. HoPsoN EIAL I 2,766,065

ozvzcs FOR THE EVAPORATION 0F LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 3, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 4' 644/155 .224 V/DOPF ATTORNEY H. H. HOPSQN ET AL DEVICE FOR THE EVAPORATION OF LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 3, 1953 2 Sheets Sheet 2 N M mum Y ovH E E M ED 0 V A T i M 4.0 MW Q B 2,7 66,066 DEVICE FOR TEE EVAPORATIUN F LIQUIDS Howe] H. Hopson, New York,

Manhasset, N Hopson Application December 3, 1953, Serial No 6 Claims. (Cl. 299-20) and Charles Davidoff, Y.; said Davidoff assignor to said This invention relates to improvements in elements for and presenting in the pending applications of Howel H. Hopson, Serial No. 289,690, entitled Evaporation Units, filed May 23, 1952, now abandoned, and Serial No. 335,299, entitled Containers Providing Vapor Treatment, filed February 5, 1953, now abandoned, various constructions for the evaporation or vaporization of liquids are disclosed and claimed. The constructions disclosed in those applications include porous members for effecting the vaporizamaterial, of which felt of example.

Though the evaporating members as disclosed in those prior applications are most effective for their intended purpose and, in fact, have been found to be superior to prior commercially available evaporating members, there has been found to be room for improvement and that improvement is the subject of the instant invention.

When fibrous materials are used alone as the evaporating or vaporizing element, there are certain extreme conditions when those elements fail to function with full effectiveness. Thus where pressure is exerted on the liquid to be vaporized, in contact with the element, an occasional drop of liquid as such, rather than as vapor, will be given off from the outside of the element. This could cause spoiling of the commodities being humidified, or being subjected to other vapor treatment. Contrariwise, the outer surfaces of such element can sometimes dry out, from exposure to air, to an extent to retard the humidifying action. The construction of the invention eliminates these and other drawbacks in a fully effective, though simple and economical, manner.

The improvement with proper texture is the preferred against one side of the fibrous evaporator element, such as felt. This assembly of cellophane and felt members is secured in place on the end of a neck by means of a suitable perforated cap, with either the cellophane or the felt exposed to the air through the perforations and the other of the elements, as the case may be, exposed to the liquid within the neck. The vapor permeable film precludes the passage of liquid as such, while assuring and enhancing the normal vaporization provided by the fibrous element. In addition, where the cellophane film is on the outside it protects the fibrous element from contact Witn the air so as to prevent the drying out of The fibrous material, being compressible and being liquid impervious when compressed, provides a tight, leak-proof joint between the cap and the neck when the fibrous material element is on the inside and the cap is applied in a manner to compress that material. When the cellophane disc is on the inside a compressible gasket is employed between that disc and 2,756,066 Patented Got. 9, 1956 the end of the neck. Thus all the requirements of a fully effective vaporizing unit are met.

It is, accordingly, a principal object of the invention to improve upon evaporating units.

Another object is to do so in a simple and economical manner.

Another object is to enhance the vaporization of vaporizing units while, at the same time, precluding the passage of liquid therethrough.

Still another object is to assure the uniform effectiveness of vaporizing units, regardless of the drying action of air thereon.

they are secured in place.

A still further object is to provide methods for the forming of vaporizing units.

Other and more detailed objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out, as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the parts making up the vaporizing unit of the invention disposed in their proper relationship.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of an assembled vaporizing unit in accordance with the invention, as applied to the tubular member.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the assembled vaporizing unit applied to a container wall.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sheet of material for forming vaporizing elements in accordance with the invention, with one element blanked out therefrom and With portions of the sheet and element broken away to illustrate the construction thereof.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 of an alternate form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of an bly thereof.

In Figures 1 and 2, a fragment of a vial-like container for carrying the liquid to be vaporized is indicated at 1. This may be formed of any suitable material, though it is preferably of a transparent, or translucent, plastic, so that the contents thereof can be readily observed. The upper end of this vial is provided with a neck 2 formed with integral screw threads 3 and terminating in an annular end face 4. The side wall thickness is such that an opening 5 of substantial cross sectional area is provided for the passage of liquid into contact with the inner surface of the fibrous member 6.

The fibrous member 6 assemserves most effectively of liquid. Also, this felt may be treated with a suitable filler, if desired. Other materials capable of soaking up liquid and emitting the same in the form of vapor from the face thereof remote from the liquid, may also be employed. Illustrations of these are sponge rubber, cotton, nylon, and asbestos, though felt is preferred, being the most efiective. Thus, where the use of felt is referred to herein, it is, of course, to be understood that this is for illustrative and not limiting purposes.

As Will be seen from Figure 2, the felt disc 6 is divapor permeable cellophane, though other films having the property of vapor permeability may be employed. Examples of these are certain plastic films and films of certain vapor permeable uncured rubbers. The film should be of such a nature, however, that it will be impervious to the passage of liquid as such, while being vapor permeable to transmit the moisture vapor emitted by the felt, and even to enhance the vaporizing action of the felt. Though vapor permeable cellophane is presently preferred for this member, reference thereto herein is for convenience of description, and not by way of limitation.

The elements 6 and 'i in the order shown in Figures 1 and 2 are seecured in place against the end of the vial 1 by a suitable screw threaded cap type member 5. The threads 9 of this member are formed to interengage with the threads 3 of the neck 2, While a peripheral border around the end it) overlies the cellophane disc 7. The cap 8 may be formed of metal, or suitable plastic. Its disclike end 10 is perforated at 11 with the desired number of perforations to emit a suitable quantity of vapor. These perforations may be variously sized or shaped and may range in number from one on up, depending on the size of the cap, quantity of vapor to be emitted, etc.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that when the cap 8 is screwed on to the neck 2, with the felt and cellophane discs in proper position therein, the rim 12 of the felt disc will be substantially compressed. This serves to increase the density of the felt and enable it to act as a gasket against escape of liquid between the skirt of the cap and the neck. Liquid, such as 13, within the vial will thus engage the inner surface of the disc 6, be vaporized in passing through it, which vapor readily travels through the cellophane disc 7. Any liquid as such which finds its way or is forced through the felt 6 will have its passage blocked by and will be vaporized in passage through the cellophane.

The cellophane or comparable membrane, being substantially impervious to the passage of air, helps the felt maintain complete saturation. Thus, it serves to maintain the felt at full effectiveness, regardless of the moisture content of the atmosphere. In fact, the cellophane, by providing uniformity of vaporization throughout its area, causes the felt to perform at full and uniform effectiveness throughout the whole of its body, effecting what might be considered as a drawing of the vapor through and from the felt.

The vaporization here being considered, when of water, is employed for the humidification of various materials. The invention similarly contemplates the vaporization of such liquids as insecticides, deodorants, preservatives and other liquids whose effectiveness in the vapor state is de sired.

The application of the construction just described to a neck carried by a container wall is illustrated in Figure 3. There the wall 15 is provided with a neck 16, screw threaded at 17 and terminating in a finished end 18. A felt disc 19 overlies this end and, on its outer side, is covered by a cellophone disc 29. These felt and cellophane discs are secured in tight engagement against the end 18 of the neck by means of a screw threaded cap 21, threaded at 7.2 and perforated at 23, as just described. Again, the felt is compressed at 24 to block the escape of liquid between the skirt of the cap and the neck.

A modified assembly of materials for the forming of discs and a method of forming such discs is illustrated in Figure 4. Here a sheet of material, generally indicated at 25, is made up of layers of felt 26, adhesive 27, and cellophane 28. The felt 26 and cellophane 28 or the alternatives thereof, are the same as already described, while the adhesive 27 is suitable for the securing of the felt and celophane together, but is of a vapor permeable type, so as to assure the passage of vapor from the felt 26 to and through the cellophone 28.

When sheets of felt and cellophone are secured to- .gether, as here illustrated, vaporizing discs as complete units may be punched out therefrom, as indicated by the 'holes 29. One of these discs, broken away to show the construction thereof, is generally illustrated at 30. It has a felt base 31, an adhesive layer 32 thereon and a cellophane facing 33 secured to the felt by the adhesive.

As will be apparent, a disc, such as that illustrated at 39, can be employed in place of the separate discs 6 and 7 on the ends of necks 2 and 16, of Figures 2 and 3.. Here, again, the particularly materials going to make up the disc may be such purposes, including, but without limitation to, those heretofore listed. Furthermore, any suitable vapor permeable adhesive, capable of securing cellophane to the felt, may be employed at 32.

In the alternative form. of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the positions of the cellophane and fibrous discs are reversed. This calls, in addition, for the use of a resilient gasket which serves several pur poses.

The container neck or other member to which the vaporizing element is to be applied is here illustrated as having a body generally indicated at 35. This body is reduced at 36, is formed with screw threads 37 and terminates in an annular end face 38, bordering the opening 39.

An annular gasket of suitable resilient compressible material, as indicated at 40, is formed to seat on the face 38 and form a liquid tight joint against the same when compressed thereagainst as illustrated in Figure 6. The cellophane, or other vapor permeable film member is seated on the outer side of the gasket 41 and has the fibrous, vapor transmissive member 42 seated on its outer surface. These are all held in position on the end of the member 35 by means of a screw threaded cap-type member 43 whose neck is threaded at 44 to mate with the threads 37, and whose disc-like base 45 is perforated at 46 like the perforations 11 in the cap 8.

From the showing in Figure 6 it will be apparent that the fibrous member 42 is exposed through the openings 46 to the air to be humidified. It receives its moisture in the form of vapor passing through the cellophane disc 41 which latter is in contact with the liquid 47 within the neck. In some instances it has been found that this arrangement is more effective than that of the form just described.

In the first place, the fibrous material, such as felt, protects the cellophone against puncture while enhancing rather than reducing the vaporizing effect thereof. The provision of the fibrous member on one side of the cellophane and the gasket on the other serves to hold the cellophane out flat and straight, when the elements are assembled, thus overcoming the normal tendency of cellophone to shrivel up. The gasket 40, of course, provides a leakproof joint against the end 38, and, at the same time, serves as a buffer to prevent fracture of the cellophane around its rim.

As in the Figure 4 illustration, the cellophane and fibrous material may, of course, be laminated together by means of a suitable vapor pervious cement. Also the fibrous material can be replaced by a disc of perforated rubber or perforated vinal material of suitable thickness and permeability. In fact any vapor permeable resilient material may be used here, since the cellophane serves as a block against transmission of liquid as such and provides for the emission of vapor from the outer side thereof.

Inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above assembly and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or illustrated in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In vaporizing construction, a vaporizing member inas are suitable for the particular device comprising a neck formed with an annular end face thereon, a section of compressible vapor transmissive fibrous material, having inner and outer faces, seated across the end of said neck with a portion or" the inner face thereof in engagement with said annular end transmissive water importion compressing said compressible member against said annular end face, and said top portion being perforated to expose said membrane to the air.

3. in a vaporizing device, a container for liquid to be vaporized, a neck extending from said container and terminating in a smooth annular end face, a first section of liquid absorptive compressible vaporizing material mounted across the end of said neck in engagement with said end face, a second section of vapor pervious liquid impervious material applied to the outer face of said first section, and a closure cap secured to said neck and having an end overlying said sections, said end of said closure cap being formed with perforations therethrough to expose parts of said second section therethrough, and said closure cap compressing said first section where the same engages the end of said neck.

4. In vaporizing construction, a liquid container having a neck portion extending therefrom, a closure cap engaged with said neck portion, said closure cap having having the periphery thereof compressed against the end of said neck, said vaporizing member including a membrane of vapor pervious, liquid impervious, material engaging the inner surface of the perforated top of said closure cap for exposure through the perforations thereof, and an element of compressible fibrous vaporizing material on the inner side of said membrane, the border of said compressible element being compressed against said end of said neck portion.

5. A vaporizing device comprising a neck formed with an annular end face thereon, a compressible annular gasket seated gasket, a section of compressible vapor transmissive material having inner and outer faces applied,

with its inner face in engagement with the outer face face, and said top portion being perforated to expose said vapor permeable member to the air.

6. A vaporizing device comprising a neck formed with an annular end face thereon, a vaporizing member seated in place across the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

